It is well known that automobiles are susceptible to dents and scratches from adjacent cars and other vehicles such as shopping carts and bicycles in parking lots. This is especially known by people with newer or more well maintained automobiles who are often reluctant to park in the spaces adjacent to the other cars (especially the "junkers"). Older "bombs" with large heavy doors are often able to exert considerable damage when opened onto a closely parked adjacent vehicle. Additionally, newer model cars are typically formed with lighter gauge metals and dent more easily that the vehicles heretofore manufactured.
In the past, it has been common practice to manufacture cars with side protectors in the form of protective chrome or side strips to help prevent damage from adjacent parked vehicle. These side protectors are often inadequate for protection from other vehicles which may be substantially higher. Furthermore, some vehicles because of aesthetic or design reasons may not even have any side protectors.
Various removable after market automotive protectors have therefore been proposed as an aid in protecting a parked vehicle. These protectors are typically placed on the side of the automobile while it is parked and then removed and stored for driving.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,015 to McNeil and U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,013 to Spears are typical of such removable protectors. These patents disclose vehicle door guards which utilize elastic loops or hooks to secure the door guard to the side of a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,008 to Falco and U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,560 to Balanky disclose protective covers for vehicles in which magnets or suction cups are utilized to attach the protective cover to the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,583 to Forbes and U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,767 to Barnett disclose automotive side protectors which are attached or suspended from the top of a door or window of the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,614 to Myers et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,380 to Cruz disclose door protectors for automobiles which utilize security tabs or retainer straps which fit inside the door or door jamb of the vehicle to prevent theft of the protective cover.
In general these protective covers have not received wide spread commercial acceptance. Some are difficult to mount and do not adequately protect the vehicle. Others may be cumbersome and can not be conveniently stored. Still others may be unattractive when mounted to the side of a vehicle.
The present invention is directed to a removable protective cover for automobiles which overcomes these prior art limitations. The protective cover of the invention easily and securely attaches to the side of a vehicle and can be compactly folded for storage. Additionally, it is attractively constructed of materials that are protective and durable but will not scratch the finish of a car. The protective cover is also provided with anti-theft tabs which prevent its unauthorized removal from a vehicle.